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School uniform vouchers now available

Cindy Boudreaux and her granddaughter Gracie Boudreaux, 8, shop for school clothes Monday
in Thibodaux.

Abby Tabor/Staff

Sydni DunnStaff Writer

Published: Tuesday, July 16, 2013 at 6:01 a.m.

Last Modified: Tuesday, July 16, 2013 at 12:16 a.m.

With the excitement of the back-to-school season also comes the high expense. That's why the Lafourche Parish's Office of Community Action is offering vouchers for free school uniforms to qualifying families and students.

Facts

How to get a voucher

To see if you qualify, contact the office nearest you and set up an appointment:- Thibodaux: 446-6731.- Mathews: 537-7603.- Galliano: 632-3989.Bring the following documents to your appointment:- Social Security cards for every member of the household.- Proof of income for every member of the household.- Household bills for one month.- Photo ID for head of household.

The voucher program, which began Monday, provides each child per household with two school uniform shirts and two bottoms, such as pants or skirts, from a specialized local vendor. To qualify, recipients must be parish residents and meet income guidelines.

The school uniform voucher program is paid for by a Federal Community Services Block Grant administered by the Louisiana Workforce Commission, said Joni Tuck, director of community services. The parish gets about $250,000 every year to service the needs of area residents and combat poverty, she said. Some of that grant money goes toward the clothing vouchers.

Parish President Charlotte Randolph said the program, which began last year, was brought back because “it really helped qualified families to meet the needs of their children without having to sacrifice other important family needs.”

Last year, the program lasted about six weeks and provided $4,000 worth of uniforms to 25 families through one local uniform vendor, Tuck said.

This year, the program will last longer, serve more types of students and involve more local vendors.

“We certainly plan to serve many more families this year through the expansion of this program,” Tuck said. “We are very excited to offer these additional services to our residents who need it most.”

Instead of ending when the school year starts, as it did in the past, the vouchers will be available until September 2014.

“That will help families who have kids that outgrow their uniforms,” Tuck said. “Before, they would have had to wait.”

It also now will serve post-secondary students enrolled in technical college classes or training programs. Qualifying students can use the vouchers to get free training uniforms, like medical scrubs. They also can get two free tops and bottoms, she said.

And in addition to an expanded time frame and outreach, there are more vendors to visit. Uniforms can be purchased at one of three local vendors: Contenders Sporting Goods in Cut Off, Jake's Kids in Thibodaux or Pat's of Chauvin in Chauvin.

Richard Bourgeois, owner and manager of Jake's Kids in Thibodaux, said he is looking forward to working with the voucher program for the second time.

“It makes you feel good to provide to people who are less advantaged,” he said. “Some people really need it.”

When qualifying families visit the store, he said, employees create an invoice of those purchases. At the end of the voucher period, the store reports the total amount of people served, and the parish office reimburses the cost.

Typically, two uniform tops and two bottoms would cost about $50, he said. When buying for multiple children, that can add up.

Bourgeois invited voucher recipients to visit his store, noting he's got a large selection of uniforms and medical scrubs.

The voucher doesn't limit the type of uniform, only the quantity. All brands and sizes are available, he said.

“I have uniforms as big as a waist size of 50 (inches) and as small as a size 2 for a toddler,” he said. “It's whatever fits.”

Before visiting any vendor, individuals seeking the vouchers need to contact the outreach office closest to them and make an appointment. Each office — in Thibodaux, Mathews and Galliano — is open from 7:30 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Thursday.

Residents need to bring all required documentation to prove they are eligible for the program when they come to the office.

To qualify, Lafourche families must provide proof of income (four check stubs), Social Security cards for everyone and proper identification for the head of household.

<p>With the excitement of the back-to-school season also comes the high expense. That's why the Lafourche Parish's Office of Community Action is offering vouchers for free school uniforms to qualifying families and students.</p><p>The voucher program, which began Monday, provides each child per household with two school uniform shirts and two bottoms, such as pants or skirts, from a specialized local vendor. To qualify, recipients must be parish residents and meet income guidelines.</p><p>The school uniform voucher program is paid for by a Federal Community Services Block Grant administered by the Louisiana Workforce Commission, said Joni Tuck, director of community services. The parish gets about $250,000 every year to service the needs of area residents and combat poverty, she said. Some of that grant money goes toward the clothing vouchers.</p><p>Parish President Charlotte Randolph said the program, which began last year, was brought back because “it really helped qualified families to meet the needs of their children without having to sacrifice other important family needs.”</p><p>Last year, the program lasted about six weeks and provided $4,000 worth of uniforms to 25 families through one local uniform vendor, Tuck said. </p><p>This year, the program will last longer, serve more types of students and involve more local vendors.</p><p>“We certainly plan to serve many more families this year through the expansion of this program,” Tuck said. “We are very excited to offer these additional services to our residents who need it most.”</p><p>Instead of ending when the school year starts, as it did in the past, the vouchers will be available until September 2014. </p><p>“That will help families who have kids that outgrow their uniforms,” Tuck said. “Before, they would have had to wait.”</p><p>It also now will serve post-secondary students enrolled in technical college classes or training programs. Qualifying students can use the vouchers to get free training uniforms, like medical scrubs. They also can get two free tops and bottoms, she said.</p><p>And in addition to an expanded time frame and outreach, there are more vendors to visit. Uniforms can be purchased at one of three local vendors: Contenders Sporting Goods in Cut Off, Jake's Kids in Thibodaux or Pat's of Chauvin in Chauvin.</p><p>Richard Bourgeois, owner and manager of Jake's Kids in Thibodaux, said he is looking forward to working with the voucher program for the second time. </p><p>“It makes you feel good to provide to people who are less advantaged,” he said. “Some people really need it.”</p><p>When qualifying families visit the store, he said, employees create an invoice of those purchases. At the end of the voucher period, the store reports the total amount of people served, and the parish office reimburses the cost.</p><p>Typically, two uniform tops and two bottoms would cost about $50, he said. When buying for multiple children, that can add up.</p><p>Bourgeois invited voucher recipients to visit his store, noting he's got a large selection of uniforms and medical scrubs. </p><p>The voucher doesn't limit the type of uniform, only the quantity. All brands and sizes are available, he said.</p><p>“I have uniforms as big as a waist size of 50 (inches) and as small as a size 2 for a toddler,” he said. “It's whatever fits.”</p><p>Before visiting any vendor, individuals seeking the vouchers need to contact the outreach office closest to them and make an appointment. Each office — in Thibodaux, Mathews and Galliano — is open from 7:30 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Thursday.</p><p>Residents need to bring all required documentation to prove they are eligible for the program when they come to the office. </p><p>To qualify, Lafourche families must provide proof of income (four check stubs), Social Security cards for everyone and proper identification for the head of household.</p>